Playing Shadows
by magakee
Summary: Love starts to come second-hand compared to what's working to destroy the lives of every living member of the barricades left. Sequel to Moonless Skies; E&E.
1. A Lie

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own Les Miserables or the characters, though I wish I did.  
_

**A/N: **_Well, it's been a while but I've finally decided to start the sequel :) It picks up right where Moonless Skies ends off and if you haven't read that go do that because this won't make too much sense without it. I've got big things planned for the story and, as always, I really appreciate your reviews, follows, and favourites xx Enjoy!_

...

**A Lie**

"A toast," Grantaire chimed, the brandy in his cup swaying with his drunken steps as he paced around the table, "to our newlyweds!"

Joly and Julie blushed, clinking their own cups together and chuckling as the rest did the same with a hearty cheer.

"May your years be filled with happiness and love!" Cosette added, a hint of bitterness in her voice but a smile that lit up the room on her face.

The table they all sat around stretched out to cover the entire hall, Les Amis sitting near the left side and Joly and Julie's families sitting farther to the right, the pale moon and the lanterns around them illuminating their surroundings . Bouquets of flowers rested in between roast chickens, a mushroom and beef stew, rice, and roasted potatoes and Grantaire had generously brought the alcohol, especially the brandy which he had enjoyed several glasses of.

Eponine glanced periodically behind her to the two small cribs Juliette and Henri slept soundly in and breathed a sigh of relief every time she saw his tiny chest rising slowly.

It had been nearly three hours that he had fallen asleep, seven hours since the initial wedding and eight hours since Eponine had forgotten the dangers of the streets outside and that her heart had been torn to pieces earlier.

Etienne Enjolras, the man who she had spent a very regretful night with, conceived a child from, and fallen in and out of love with had made it excruciatingly clear that whatever affection they had managed to keep for one another was pointless because things would never return to the way they were, or at least, the way she wanted them to be. They would be better off accepting that before doing anything else. And so, the man who sat across the table from her, who looked cold and angry and happy all at once, who made eye contact with her every once in a while to make sure she was fine, was also the man who she felt a deep hatred and passion for that she didn't know existed.

Yet, she swayed in a mixture of dismay and confusion and something that felt like grief but couldn't possibly be because, as odd as it was, she didn't really care for the way he acted. Sure, it was heartbreaking to know that yet another man could not stand to love her, but for some reason, she didn't care whether or not this man loved her or not.

"You're staring into space." Azelma enunciated, waving her hand in front of the waif's face furiously.

She blinked a few times and faced her sister, "W-what?"

"I've been calling your name for five minutes, what an Earth are you thinking about?"

"I – I'm just tired. Henri's been keeping me up lately."

"Oh," she shook her head, "well try not to think about that right now. We're trying to have fun tonight and I don't want you to be sad. You deserve to have fun tonight, isn't that right Enjolras?"

The man's head snapped up and he smirked at the two sisters, "What are you on about now _Mademoiselle_?"

Eponine stifled a laugh and Azelma mocked him before saying, "Doesn't Eponine deserve to have fun tonight?"

"Of course, why wouldn't she?"

"Exactly!" She turned towards the waif, "Oh 'Ponine, I know it's tough being a mother but don't drive yourself mad because of it."

"I won't 'Zelma, I promise." She tried to smile but the lack of truth in her grin made Enjolras scowl before he looked away and took another sip of his brandy and Azelma huffed and returned to her conversation with Courfeyrac.

_Is it terribly obvious_, she thought, hoping her cheeks weren't turning the bright crimson colour they always did, _that I can't?  
_  
It wasn't Henri, or her lack of sleep, or even the fact that Enjolras couldn't love her back – it was that no man ever could. She had gone through Montparnasse in her youth, Marius during the last few years and now the _father _of a child she'll have to face every day. She felt like an idiot holding that bitter seed within her, yet, how could she not? Her sister was falling in love with her friend, Joly and Julie were married, Cosette and Marius have a child as well – and then there is her. The lonely waif with an unlucky streak of losing every man she touched. But she was at a wedding, and no matter how hard the task was, she had to at least look happy, for her friends' sake.

With a smile plastered on her face, she punched Azelma's shoulder and watched as her sister rejoiced in her own happiness and swept her into the conversation and into the rest of the night.

...

After another three hours, Marius and Cosette had taken Juliette home, Julie and Joly's parents and families had returned to their inn across the street, and Courfeyrac and Grantaire had offered to take Azelma back home. Only the newlyweds and the soon to be divorcees remained, one pair snuggling by the remaining flames that crackled in the fireplace and the others ignoring one another to the best of their abilities.

Eponine leaned against the brick wall leading to the upper level of the church sourly and Enjolras paced the front entrance with his hands stuffed into his pockets, still bothering to check on Eponine now and then with a quick glance.

"Congratulations, I mean it." The man mentioned briefly to Joly as he moved past them, holding a box full of decorations and setting it by the door.

"Thank you," he patted him on the back and chuckled, "I can't believe I'm married."

"Neither can I -" he tried to smile but seemed conflicted with his choice of words, "I know you two will be happy with one another."

"I know we will be. Thank you, friend." He motioned for Julie to come and he propped the door open with his leg, "We'll be back if you need any help."

"Oh no, no. We were just on our way out. I've got to put Henri to sleep anyways." Eponine added quickly, hesitantly joining Enjolras after she had taken her son out of his make shift crib. She tucked that underneath her arm and watched as the man took it from her with a smirk.

They bid farewell to Julie and Joly one last time and stepped out the door.

"Let's go."

...

The air seemed particularly cold and unruly as the two made their ways down each rue, Eponine holding Henri tightly to her chest and covering him with her own jacket and Enjolras seeming to be deep in thought as he navigated them to their apartments.

"Did you enjoy yourself after all?"

The sudden comment caught Eponine off guard, "Hm?"

"Did you enjoy yourself?" He repeated, annoyance ringing in his voice.

"Yes, I suppose so."

"That wasn't very convincing." He remarked.

Eponine's mouth hung open a little bit and she shook her thoughts loose, "What do you want?"

"I want you to be honest with me. You were staring at the wall above my head for nearly five hours after the wedding; do you honestly think I believe that you were okay?"

It was her turn to be annoyed, "No, I honestly don't!"

Henri squirmed uncomfortably and she lowered her voice, "You've obliterated my sanity, Enjolras."

"That was a nice choice of words." He raised an eyebrow and took their son from her and watched as she stood in place, turning the colour of red he had seen her turn a thousand times over by now.

"Stop it! How can you act like nothing hurts you?" Eponine flinched suddenly, knowing she had struck a nerve with the man, knowing that in the five months since Henri was born and their relationship as parents had blossomed, he hated being told that he was indifferent and cold.

"I'm sorry," she sighed, "I'm sorry."

He sighed as well, shaking his head, "It was because of me, wasn't it?"

"Yes."

"Because of what I told you about how we could never love one another?"

"Yes."

"Does that honestly bother you?" He met her eyes and she looked away, "I know you don't have any affection left for me in your heart, so why bother caring?"

She shook her head, "Because that's who I am. I can't just let things go Enjolras; it takes time for me to heal."

He nodded.

"But I'm glad that we spoke. I know things will never be the way they were, and –" she took a prolonged breath, "and I'm glad."

"Good."

She looked up and found herself standing in front of their new homes. Enjolras had purchased two apartments next-door to one another for himself and the waif just a month ago, after earning enough money from teaching history at a local university.

After she had taken Henri and his crib from him, she opened her door and stepped into her home with a sour taste left in her mouth.

How could she have admitted how she felt to Enjolras? Even if how she felt _was_ blatantly obvious, she didn't know why she had thought that he would care, or that he would apologize for making her feel so useless right before their friends' wedding. He was Enjolras, and the best that she could get from him was a nod – she was lucky she even got a '_good' _in return. If she was ever going to be happy, she had to move on from him, and from every man that had held a place in her heart at all.

And starting from that day, she promised herself that she would.

Enjolras opened the door to his apartment, after making sure the waif went inside safely, then slammed it shut behind him and sank against the door.

...

"_Good_." He spat miserably, chuckling harshly at his choice of words. No matter what he did, he always managed to make her feel as though she was trapped with a monster for the rest of her life. As though one night had bound her to the devil.

He had changed after the barricades, after becoming a father, and she knew that. Yet, no matter how hard anybody tried, he was still the man of marble, the young man who was as charming as he was terrible – even to himself.

He slammed his fist into the ground and yelped. How could he ever make Eponine see how much he loved her without scaring her away? Without making that crevice of himself that had inhabited his body when he lost his memory come back? How could he ever make her see that he was killing himself trying to rid himself of what he felt for her?

He had tried to forget her, tried to remind himself that he had wedded a young woman who was the daughter of criminals, whose only clothes used to be rags and whose only aspirations were to marry Marius and somehow rid herself of her miserable past. But over the course of time she had become the beautiful, intelligent, and strong woman he was lucky to have ever spent that ridiculous night with. He had thanked the bottle of _Chablis_ he had washed down before he encountered her so many nights ago and thanked that part of his mind that had made her love him during those brief few weeks he fell ill a thousand times over.

Somehow, Eponine Jondrette Thenardier had wedged herself into his heart, and the only was he would be happy living with the fact that he loved a woman who could never love him back was by telling her to move on and find someone who would truly love her back. Someone she wouldn't have to fight for or cry over. Someone she could spend a lifetime with without being reminded of something they had but could never reconcile.

He sat in his own bitter thoughts for the rest of the night, leaning against the wall that separated them, wishing that he could go to his family, but knowing that they would be happier without him.

He did this until everything finally faded to black.


	2. A Job

**A/N: **_Thank you all for your responses, I really appreciate it :) Sorry for the late update btw, there was a LOT going on during the last few weeks, but I'll try to update once a week from now on. Thanks a bunch xx_

**A Job**

Eponine twiddled her thumbs anxiously, watching the man seated in front of her ponder the piece of cloth she had given him with narrowed eyes.

"Sir?" She scoffed, looking behind her then back to him, "Is there something wrong?"

A smile played upon the man's lips until he let out a small chuckle and replied by ripping the cloth in half.

"I do hope that answered your question _Mademoiselle_; I've made my answer quite clear."

Eponine bit her tongue and shook her head, "It hasn't. Was my sewing not sufficient enough for your _establishment_?"

The man's jaw dropped a little before he said, "Oh dear, you really don't understand do you?"

"No, I don't! _Monsieur_, what have I done wrong?"

The man slammed his hands down furiously on the table separating himself from the waif and looked into her petrified eyes, "You are not fit to work. You've shown not only the inability to sew and knit for the factory, but you have also shown extreme aggression towards myself and your peers. Not to mention your illegitimate child…"

"Henri is not illegitimate!"

He laughed and turned away from her, seemingly indifferent to her anger, "Suit yourself _Mademoiselle_, but I've already made up my mind. You're not working at the factory, and that's that."

She bit her tongue and took a deep breath, overwhelmed by the need for money and purpose, "_Monsieur_ I _need _this job. I've scowered all of Paris –"

"Then it looks like you're out of luck." He proceeded to tidy his things up until he was halfway through the door to his office.

"Please! I beg of you, I'll be on the streets! My, uh, husband cannot support our family alone."

"Husband?" He turned back towards her, "You've failed to mention you're married."

"Does that change anything?"

"Hardly. You're still a waif, not mention a liar. You have no place in our establishment _Mademoiselle _Thenardier. Good day."

He shut the door behind his footsteps and Eponine stood alone in the factory, tears welling up in her eyes and embarrassment causing her cheeks to turn a bright crimson.

"Go to hell!" She shouted after him, running out of the factory, not stopping until she had arrived at her doorstep.

...

"You – what?" Enjolras clenched his teeth and shook his head in disbelief.

Marius stood in front of him, eyes full of confusion and hurt, "I can't do this anymore."

"Why? Why can't you? What's stopping you from loving that woman like you did before?"

He took a breath then spat, "Because I _cannot_."

He turned in his spot, hands flying up to his hands in frustration. He paced back and forth in front of the man of marble, trying to contain himself but losing himself further with every step.

"I try to look at her the way I used to, I try to tell myself that I made her father the _promise _of caring for her for the rest of my life, I try to think that Juliette will grow up fatherless – and none of it works!" He punched the wall and Enjolras stepped back, eyes widening.

He ran to Marius and grabbed him by the shoulders, shaking him, "Stop!"

"My life's going to fall apart!" He broke free of the man's grip and propped his hand up on a chair, "Enjolras – _I won't have anything left if I leave her._"

"You're wrong."

He shook his head, "No - I'm ruined."

The man clicked his tongue, "Fine. What do you want to do about it?"

Marius shot his hands up then shrugged, "Keep trying."

Somewhere inside his heart the man felt a twinge of sympathy, but shook his head clear of it before he said something he regretted.

"Cosette doesn't deserve to be thrown aside, you know very well that people have done that to her her whole life, and that she doesn't deserve to have that happen to her again. Be honest with her."

"So I should tell her I don't love her?" He laughed bitterly, "She'll either kill me or die of shock before she gets the chance."

Before Enjolras could open his mouth to protest, a knock sounded at the door and Marius froze.

"Calm down, I'll go check who it is."

Rolling his eyes, he moved closer to the door, prying it open gently and sighing when he met the eyes of the anxious looking girl behind it.

"Enjolras, I need to speak with you. Something happened." She whispered, her eyes darting back and forth.

He put a finger on his lips and opened the door a little further to reveal Marius, who seemed like he was in a ridiculous mix of embarrassment and regret.

"I should leave." He sputtered.

Eponine's eyes widened, "Marius? What, why?"

"You both seem busy enough. Besides, I've already spoken with Enjolras."

"Pontmercy, you don't have to leave, it's al-"

"No, I insist." He patted both his friends on the back and huffed past Eponine and out the door with a faint, "Farewell," as he shut it.

The waif and the man stood in silence for a few moments before Eponine sniffled and Enjolras' head snapped towards her.

"What happened? Is it Henri!? Is he alright?"

"Yes, yes." She shook her head, "Henri's with Azelma – I was out today."

"…Where?"

She huffed, "Everywhere."

"What do you mean?"

"I was looking for a job."

"A job?" He smirked, "How did that go?"

Eponine sniffled again and burst into tears suddenly, catching the man off guard as he debated whether or not he should comfort her.

"They've called me illiterate and aggressive! They've kicked me out of several factories and told me not to return Enjolras! I don't know what to do!"

He reached out to her, "Why do you need a job Eponine, I'll take care of you –"

"No!" She batted away his hand and straightened out her dress, "I'm tired of being taken care of. I want to support my own family."

He clicked his tongue and watched as the waif miserably attempted to make it look as if she had not been crying.

"Help me."

"What?"

"I _need_ you."

He suddenly felt another twinge of empathy and sympathy all at once that made his heart burn from the love he was beginning to acknowledge all over again for Eponine.

"What do you want me to do? I don't own a factory –"

"_Help me_." She begged, "I don't care how – just _help me_." She shook her head, "You can barely afford to eat Enjolras. I'm tired of you putting everything you have into supporting this family. I'm a part of it too, you have to let me help you."

Something in his miserable visage changed suddenly, "You care that much about my happiness?"

She blinked as is she hadn't understood what he had said, "Of course."

He nodded with a faint smirk and turned away from the girl, hands pressed together in thought.

"You don't care where this job is?"

She shook her head, "Not really. As long as it's not in the range of what my father would have me do."

He flinched, "No. Oh heavens no, _Mademoiselle_."

"Good. Then I don't mind at all."

"Good."

They met eyes and Eponine quickly looked away, "Well, I best get back to Henri. Thank you again Enjolras, I appreciate it."

"Anytime Eponine."

"Well, uh, goodbye."

She threw the door open and stepped out, bidding him farewell with a final nod and disappearing into the apartment next door.

...

Enjolras tapped his fingers impatiently on his pant leg until Christian Joviendre tapped the papers on his desk, and put them in an orderly pile to the right.

"How old is she?"

"20."

"And she's with child?"

"Yes."

"Where is the husband?"

"Deceased."

"When?"

Enjolras sucked in a breath and met the eyes of his employer, trying his best not to show any emotion, "The barricades."

"Hm," Christian squirmed a little and furrowed his eyebrows, "so she should be on the streets. With the rest of the filth."

The man suddenly found himself on his feet, "_Monsieur_–"

"Calm yourself Etienne, we're in a place of business."

The man furrowed his golden brows and took a seat in his chair once again, "She needs a job, _Monsieur._ She's starving and she's my friend. I can't let that happen."

"How sweet." He smiled, "I didn't know you were capable of caring Professor."

"There's a lot you don't know about me."

Another smile flashed across Christian's face and he nodded, "She can work here, but as my assistant. She will earn five francs a week. I need someone to organize my files and speak with people I don't have the time for. Can she do that?"

"Absolutely."

"And at any sign of trouble, I will fire you both. I can't afford to be associated with _gamines_ and illegitimate children, understood? We're lucky to even operate a University after the revolution, don't screw that up."

His jaw tensed up, and through clenched teeth he muttered, "Understood, _Monsieur_."

"Good." He stuck out his hand and watched as the man grabbed onto much harder than he should have then shook it once.

Enjolras spat, "She starts tomorrow," before shutting the door behind him.


	3. Arrest

**A/N: **_Sorry for the late update (again)! My computer had a virus and a lot of the files for this story got deleted so, essentially, I had to start from scratch -.- Either way, here it is! I know a lot of the history in this chapter is probably wrong so please correct me if you find anything! Other than that, please don't forget to review :) Enjoy xx_

**Arrest**

She sat in front of him with a curious sort of stillness that made him wonder, ever so slightly, whether she was interested in their dinner or not.  
He couldn't tell whether it was the sadness in her eyes or the distaste on her lips, but whatever it was; he was not looking at the Eponine Thenardier he had grown to know.

"You've barely touched your food."

Eponine's head shot up and a look of confusion glimmered across her gaze, "Oh."

He watched as she looked at her food; picked her fork up to use it, and then set it back down with a _clank_.

"Enjolras," her voice shook, "why didn't you tell me earlier?"

He stopped mid bite and tried to smirk but fell short, "What do you mean?"

"I mean you didn't tell me I was working for _him_."

"That's why I didn't tell you." He shrugged, "You wanted a job, I got you one."

"_But it's with him._" She shook her head, "How have you put up with him? Why didn't you tell me before?"

"Because it's my business."

A wave of silence fell over both of them and the waif struggled to keep her composure, shaking ever so slightly as the man of marble continued to eat his food with an astounding apathy. Enjolras had in fact called her over for dinner as soon as he had returned from work, cooking the food himself and bringing out Henri's cradle so that their son could be with both of them for the night.

However, no matter how casually the man tried to play the evening, a sinking feeling had fallen into the pit of Eponine's stomach and she couldn't shake the fact that something, no matter how small, was about to go wrong. And she was absolutely right.

"He's notorious for being _a brute_. Don't you _think_!?" She slammed her fists on the table suddenly and Enjolras' eyes widened slightly.

"I expected this sort of behaviour but I can assure yo-"

"No!" She moved towards him and pointed a finger, "Did you think that just because I've worked with criminals before I could handle him? That somehow I would grow accustomed to someone who could abuse me and get away with it?"

"You can handle yourself better than I can, _Mademoiselle_. If I didn't think so I wouldn't have gone to him for help."

She raised her hand to slap him but he caught her hand within his own, losing his emotions in a sad mixture of love and frustration all at once.

"He won't hurt you, you're the only female member on staff and the one thing he prides himself on is his reputation in Paris. If word gets out that somethings happened to you…"

"He'll be ruined." She murmured what the man had wanted to say and pulled her hand away from his, not realizing how long they had been like that, "Fine then."

"And another thing," he added, "when you're at the University, you mustn't act like you know me personally. Although you will be knownas _Mademoiselle_ Thenardier, I will be _Monsieur_ Montville to you and everyone else on staff."

"What?"

"That's how I've kept the job for so long, because they can't trace my name back to the men that went missing in the barricades." His voice cracked and he turned away from the waif, refusing to show any emotion.

"Then what about me? I was there, I went missing."

"Yes, but your family history and your _disguise_ prevented anyone from discovering your true identity. So long as you don't expose the rest of us, which I have full faith you won't, then we'll be fine."

She pondered over it briefly, and then nodded, "Alright. I promise."

He continued to stay silent, listening to every question and thought that came out of her mouth afterwards and scolded himself every time he felt his heart leap or his blood run quicker through his veins. Every unquestionable emotion that struck him made him even more startled than the previous and he soon found himself on the brink of breaking down in front of the woman he was trying so hard to fall out of love with.

This went on till she went home and he once again found his refuge in sleep.

...

The University had stone walls and cobblestone pathways leading into its campus, trees outlining the paths and students dotting every other visible spot. To have such a prosperous, high-class standing in Paris in the current state it was in was rare and unsettling for most of the students, professors and visitors.

Outside the very walls they studied were the sick, malnourished, poor, and close to dead. They had been miraculously lucky to even study and teach in such a safe haven, ignorant to the struggles of its country, and even though some took it for granted, it stood a fact rooted in everybody's daily lives that they were amongst the luckiest in France.

Eponine tried to keep this in mind as she muttered _bourgeois filth_ repeatedly under her breath till she was two minutes away from meeting Monsieur Christian Joviendre.

Enjolras stood by her side, trying to keep on looking apathetic, for the sake of keeping his secret and her own intact.

"Do you think he'll introduce himself? Or will I have to introduce myself?"

Enjolras blinked a few times to comprehend her question, then opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted by a voice he had grown to loathe.

"Surely he'd introduce himself." The man stuck out a hand and shook the waif's frivolously, "I'm _Monsieur_ Joviendre, surely you've heard of me?"  
She struggled to get her words out, caught off guard by his abrupt introduction and also the fact that the man who was a topic of conversation in all of Paris, who had inherited a prestigious University, was _so _young. Twenty-four at most.

"Yes." She blurted out, "I'm _Mademoiselle_ Thenardier."

"Of the Thenardier's? Yes I've heard of you all."

A moment of silence fell between the three as Eponine and Enjolras tried to comprehend what he had just said.

He clenched his fist, "What?"

"Oh, surely you have too _Monsieur_ Montville. They were famous for their cons." He turned to the girl, "You're quite admirable then. Liberally speaking."

"Glad you think so," Eponine bit her tongue, "and I'm glad you know, to be honest. It would be a shame to work with a man who's ignorant to his own workers histories. Liberally speaking."

Both _Monsieur_ Joviendre's and Enjolras' jaws dropped.

Before Enjolras could apologize on the waif's behalf, Joveindre smiled.

"You didn't tell me she had an attitude."

Enjolras furrowed his golden eyebrows.

"I like it." He smiled, "You'll fit in quite nicely with me."

He moved closer to Eponine, meeting her eyes. The man of marble stood to the side, fighting the urge to jump between them and take the waif back home to their Henri. To safety.

"I hope so. Otherwise _it would be a shame_." Eponine clenched her teeth and the man threw his arm around her, "She's quite the catch. Ah, what a year this will be, don't you think _Monsieur_?"

He nodded once and unclenched his fist, not realizing how long he'd been squeezing it shut.

"Say, how did you two meet again?"

Eponine's eyes widened and Joviendre took notice, "What? Did I spark a memory?"

"No!"

He grinned, shifting his gaze to Enjolras and sighing, "Adorable, isn't she?"

"Hey!" Enjolras stepped forward, then stopped. He'd only raise suspicion.

"_Monsieur_, don't you have a class to teach?"

He froze suddenly, checking his pocket watch, and then sharing an apologetic glance with Eponine.

"I guess I'll be off then."

"Good." He turned towards the waif, "Now to you my dear, shall we?"

He held the door open and Eponine finally broke her gaze with Enjolras, stepping through the entrance.

...

In 3 hours she had sorted every application that had come into the university since the beginning of the semester, putting aside only 5 out of 300 for consideration since they matched the criteria Joviendre had carefully laid out for her. From her understanding, if you did not come from a high standing family or had an astounding level of intelligence - you were not cut out for the University.

"What's bothering you love? Did you hate to see _Monsieur_ Montville leave your side? I would get him for you but rules are rules..."

She nearly stuttered over her words, unable to keep her frustration in, "You only accepted 5 people!"

"Considered," he corrected, "there _is_ a difference, believe it or not."

Eponine shut her mouth and refrained from arguing with him anymore, growing tired of his sarcasm. She had heard about his ruthlessness and impatience since she had married Enjolras, all of Les Amis having had an encounter with him at one time or another. She had heard about his failed marriages, his ability to fire hundreds of workers at a time, and the rarity in having any chance of working for him. It shocked her that any of the boys she was friends with had even attended the University, and she was even more shocked that the man she once loved, the father of her own child, had hidden the fact that he was working directly under him for so long.

What caught her off guard presently though was Joviendre's shameless flirting and tedious sarcastic remarks. There was nothing ruthless or impatient about his behaviour, just annoying. Not to mention how he knew of her family history despite Enjolras' hunch...

"You seem oddly quite."

"Do you need me to entertain you now?" She narrowed her eyes.

"Although I would _love_ to take you up on your offer, I cannot. I've got things of my own to do."

"Your own?" She clamped her mouth shut again. Even though she had been doing all his work all day, it still wasn't her place to dive into his personal life.

Something glimmered across his eyes and he stopped himself from turning to face the girl, "I'll probably regret telling you but," he shut the door to his office that hung open slightly, "my father passed two days from today, last year. I've got his memorial planned; I've just got to accommodate all the guests and it's proving more difficult than I anticipated…"

Eponine grimaced; she didn't know someone as spoiled as him could have been stressed. But why would there be any accommodation of guests?

"Do you need any help?" Was all she managed to say.

If it had been quieter in the halls outside their office, the waif could have been able to make out the slight gasp that escaped the man's lips.

"Uh," he smirked, "no. You can, however, attend my father's memorial service."

"Me?"

"Yes." He grinned, "Seeing as he was a man of status and that if he were still here he would own most of the buildings in Paris, there are many people who wish to pay their respects to him. That's why I'm holding a small party at the University for those of them in Paris, and outside. To reimburse them for their troubles and to conduct the memorial with ease. I want you to be there, and you may bring _Monsieur_ Montville if you wish."

She blinked, still confused, "But why me?"

"Because you know what it feels like."

She was still confused.

"Death, I mean. It must have been difficult losing your late husband."

Before she could say another word a loud _boom_ sounded in the hallway and a rush of screams and worried whispers engulfed the building.  
Joviendre seemed petrified, frozen in place. Eponine grabbed his arm and yanked him outside with her; no one would dare hurt her if he were beside her.

"HEY! STOP!"

Her mouth turned dry suddenly and now she was the one with trouble moving. She watched as the flood of national guardsmen held a wriggling Enjolras in place.

"Let him go!" She cried, rushing to him only to be pulled back by Joviendre. She shot him a sharp gaze and he shook his head, holding her as she wriggled too.

"By decree of the law, you, _Monsieur_ Etienne Enjolras are under arrest of the mass murder of over six hundred people at the June Rebellion of 1832. You will spend life in prison for fraud and murder if proven guilty. Please, follow this way."

"You can't!" Eponine screamed, finally breaking out of the man's grip and running to Enjolras.

He reached out his hand and she reached out for him. A guardsman grabbed it and slapped her, knocking her to the ground.

"Don't touch her!" He fought, kicking and kicking until he felt every last bit of energy he had left dissipate into hopelessness, "I have a child! PLEASE!"

Joviendre's gasp was quite audible now and he exchanged a bitter look with the waif, piecing together what he had just heard.

"Take him away." The guardsman finally declared, and Eponine watched in horror as the man she used to love was whisked out of his workplace, out of safety and security, and to prison. To his death.

The pool of students that had gathered all shared looks of confusion and woe and Joviendre ordered them back to their classes and out of the streets.

Eponine sank to the floor, weary, her vision fading to black.

The last thing she saw before she collapsed was a hand reaching out for hers.


End file.
